Floor sweeper



May 31, 1955 R. 'r. WILLIAMS FLOOR SWEEPER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1952 FIG.

- INVENTOR. RU SSE L L T. WILLIAMS May 31, 1955 R. T. WILLIAMS 2,709,269

' FLOOR SWEEPER Filed March 14, 1952 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 1 FIG.4 26:

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Unite States Patent FLOOR SWEEPER Russell T. Williams, Peoria, Ill., assignor to Little Giant Products, Inc., Peoria, ill, a corporation of Illinois This invention relates to a general-purpose floor sweeper head, designed for horizontal and vertical manipulation by a fork lift truck.

General purpose floor sweepers are well known. They are usually driven by a tractor, which also operates the revolving brush of the sweeper and which may slightly raise or lower the sweeper head in order to suit different floor conditions. The power to rotate the brush and to raise or lower the sweeper head is usually furnished by special power take-offs, shafts or special hydraulic units, actuated by the tractor engine under the control of special linkage, valves or the like. This special equipment adds materially to the basic cost of both the tractor and the revolving brush. It is unable to raise or lower the sweeper head except over very limited distances.

Equally well known is the fork lift truck, a device used mainly for the loading and unloading of merchandise and the manipulation of construction materials and the like. It usually comprises a more or less vertical mast or guide frame, mounted on the front end of an automotive truck; and it generally has a carriage or fork device, slidable up and down along the mast by means of a hydraulic unit powered by the truck engine.

It has occurred to me that improved sweeper operations as well as reduced costs of sweeper construction can be expected, at practically no expense to most of the users, if an independently powered sweeper head be adapted for horizontal and vertical manipulation by a power driven fork lift truck. I developed a sweeper head so adapted, and found the general idea confirmed in actual practice. The new unit has been used successfully for sweeping a variety of floor surfaces, including streets, yards, sidewalks, factory floors, loading platforms and other floors.

The details of the arrangement will now be described.

In the drawing Fig. l is a diagrammatic side View of the new device in sweeping position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the sweeper head detached from the lift truck and parked. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the head in position for dumping of materials swept from a floor. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the sweeper head on a larger scale, showing details such as the different drives and supports, the pick-up pan, etc. Fig. 5 is a top view of the sweeper head shown in Fig. 4, with the pick-up pan detached and the brush, etc. in position for snow removal. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views, taken along lines 66 (see Fig. 5) and 7--7 (see Fig. 6) respectively.

No claim is made herein to the lift truck L as such; only to the special lift truck mounting and adaptation of a sweeper head S, generally shown in Fig. 1. As suggested by the arrows, the normal basic operation of the unit consists in forward driving (arrow 24), occasional slight vertical adjustment of contact pressure (arrow 26), and forward sweeping of dirt by the sweeper brush (arrow 23).

The conventional lift truck L, which performs the first twoof these motions, is most clearly shown in Fig. 2. his illustrated with an upright telescoping mast or guide ice frame M for a fork unit or carriage F. The mast is attached to the front end of a truck body B. The lift fork can be raised or lowered for instance by a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly C mounted on the mast. This assembly is actuated by a hydraulic or pneumatic pump P, directly connected with the drive engine of the truck. A valve V is manually controlled by the operator from the drivers seat D, through a handle H next to the steering wheel W. This valve connects one end of the cylinder C either to the pressure discharge E of the pump P or to a low-pressure vessel or the like, thereby raising or lowering the piston and the lift fork F.

This well-known lift truck construction, while originally developed for different purposes, provides a very adequate degree of accuracy for adjustment of brush contact pressure of a sweeper head, as well as an ample height of lift for the emptying of a pickup pan connected with a sweeper head, comparing favorably in both respects with said earlier tractor mechanisms and the like.

The new sweeper head S comprises a hood 10 adapted to be removably and adjustably held to the fork F of the lift truck L, and to hold the revolving brush 11 and its auxiliary devices. For this purpose the hood 10 forms a substantially semicircular, downwardly facing shell having a horizontal axis coinciding with that of the.

brush. This shell has a rigid, horizontal, rectangular frame 12 at the edge. A support frame 13 extends horizontally above the top of the hood or shell and is rigidly secured to the frame, as by vertical bars 14.

The horizontal support frame 13 is shown as comprising a pair of straight, desirably tubular bars 13A, 13B

extending parallel with the axis of the brush and hood.-

This arrangement has been found most efiicient and economical to suit a variety of lift forks F, as made by different manufactureres. Each bar 13A, 1313 can then extend at any desired angle, transversely of the hori-' zontal arms A of the lift fork F, as best shown in Fig. 5. The sweeper head can then be attached to said arms by two pairs of clamping units 15 (Figs. 5, 6, 7). Each unit has a pair of U bolts 16; and each U bolt clamps a horizontal bar 17 to the top of the respective frame element 13A, 13B. Each lift fork arm A is inserted between two pairs of bars 17, one pair above each element 13A, 13B of the frame 13, and clamped to the frame by a plate 18, extending across the arm and bolted down for instance by manually operated wing nuts 19, engaging vertical studs upstanding from the bars 17 as shown. It will be noted that the parallel bars 13A, 13B and clamp units .15, disposed above the hood, allow attach-. ment of the sweeper head to practically any kind of lift truck, regardless of width, spacing, angularity and other details of the fork arms A. l The brush 11 is rotatably mounted on the frame 12.v

into a pick-up pan 25 supported in front of the hood 10. This pan is secured to the frame 12 and indirectly to the lift truck L, with slight clearance .above the floor,

variable by vertical lift fork adjustment 26. The pan extends substantially along the entire width of the sweeper and hood, below and partly in front thereof. Basically it has the usual form of a dust pan cooperating with a brush or broom. Preferably it has a substantiallyrrectangular bottom with a trailing strip 27 pivoted to the side walls 28 of the pan for swinging motion. Adjacent the top edges of the side walls 28, closer to the brush and.

back end than to the front, the pan has horizontal shafts or trunnions 29, normally journalled in more or less Patented May 31, :5 v

half-round slots 3'3 of hinge clips 31 secured to the bottom edge of the frame 12. These hinges allow tilting of the entire pan, in vertical planes, when and only when such tilting is desired; that is, when the lift fork F has raised the sweeper head above its normal operative position.

Tilting of the pan is normally desired only for dumping purposes. That is, preferably the pan is in static balance about the hinges 29, but slightly counter-weighted, for instance by the top wall of the pan and the parts mounted thereon, so that the front end of the pan tends to sink. The pan can then be tilted only by positive, manual or other power, and that only when the lift truck L has raised the sweeper head. The pan as shown in Fig. 3 is tilted manually by a handle 32. By the normal elfect of gravity it remains in horizontal position as shown in Fig. l, in order to guard against accidental loss of picked up material. This is important for instance when the sweeper head, in operation, must be lifted over some relatively large object, curb stone or the like. At such times the lift fork can be operated so that the pan, with contents, so to say 'floats" over the obstacle. Thereafter the contents of the pan can be dumped at the desired point and moment. To allow said floating the top edges 33 of the side walls 23, together with the horizontal bottom edges 34 of the frame 12, act as a stop for the pan, in its normal horizontal position. These edges are preferably straight, the hinges 29 being located at their intersection as best shown in Fig. 3.

The handle 32 for the tilting and dumping can be provided for instance by a removable, straight pipe, loosely inserted in a sheath or outer pipe 35. This outer pipe can be secured to the pan and can have an open end at the front of the pan. Normally the pipe handle 32 is fully inserted in this outer pipe 35, but in order to gain leverage for the purpose of tilting the pan, it can be pulled out part of the way, as shown in Fig. 3. When dumping operations are frequent they can also be controlled from the drivers seat, by auxiliary controls (not shown).

In the normal position of the unit the free length of the fibres of the brush 11 extends slightly below the back and bottom edge of the trailing strip 27 on the pick-up pan, and the strip itself is slightly raised from its freely hanging position (this free length and freely hanging position being shown in broken lines, in Fig. 4). Each fiber will then actually sweep the floor, and the strip will trail, as shown in full lines. As the fibers are subject to considerable wear and as floor conditions differ widely, the

vertical distance between the pan bottom and the brush periphery is made adjustable. This can be done for instance by incorporating the brush bearings 29 in a subframe 36, pivoted to the frame 12 of the hood 1:) by journals 37, for swinging in vertical planes, and by a slot and bolt arrangement 38 adapted to fix the bearings 20 at a predetermined vertical distance from the lower edge 34 of the hood.

The vertical adjustment 26 of the sweeper head by the lift fork L allows a very efficient operation of the unit, over a wide range of floor conditions; mainly in connection with the more permanent adjustment at 33. It is particularly useful that the lift fork raises and lowers the unit in potentially long and substantially vertical lines; not in a small arc as has been usual in earlier power-driven general-purpose sweeper heads. The bottom of the pan can thus float horizontally over any floor to be swept; normally a very short distance above the average floor level but occasionally also at higher elevations. The operator, using the handle H and the driving gear of the truck, can practically duplicate the setting, resetting and other manipulation of a small, manually handled dust pan and broom, in spite of the considerable weight and bulk of the present, power-driven machinery. This was impossible in earlier machines of this type, so far as I know.

Frequently it is desirable to spray water on the fioor to be swept, for dust control. For this purpose a water tank 39, with a filling hatch 48, is mounted on the hood 7.9. This tank has an outlet fitting 41 near its bottom, connected by a tube 42 with the suction inlet of a pump 43 secured to the side of the frame 13. This pump can be driven by the brush revolving engine 21, through belting or chains 44. The discharge outlet of the pump is connected with a flexible tube 45, leading to the front edge of the pickup pan, where it discharges forward and downward through suitable spray nozzles 46 secured to said front edge.

At other times it is desirable to sweep but not to collect material, such as snow. For this purpose the spray nozzle 46 and the entire pick-up pan 25 can be removed from the hood by removing the flexible tube 45 and the hinge pins 29. The hood with its brush can then be installed at an angle 47, preferably of about 15 degrees, with the travelling direction 24 (see Fig. 5). Such angular adjustment is easily effected by the simple clamp units 15. It can be modified with equal facility, for instance to reverse from right to left from center sweeping.

For such purposes of readjusting the angle of attachment, and also when parking the sweeper head 10, this head is separated from the forks F. This is effected with the help of a pair of parking stands 48. Each parking stand may comprise for instance a pair of vertical legs, pivoted to a side wall of the hood 10, which legs can be folded down and locked for parking, as shown in Fig. 2, or folded up and locked for sweeping, as shown in Fig. 1. This folding up or down of the parking stands is easily done while the sweeper head is held above the floor by the lift truck, in the position in which it shall be parked or picked up. The head is then lowered onto the parking stands; the clamp units 15 are loosened and the fork arms A are withdrawn therefrom. While the sweeper head remains parked the lift truck can be used for its other, more basic functions, like loading and unloading merchandise.

Details of operating procedures for spraying, snow removal etc., will be understood from the foregoing description.

In normal service of the sweeper head, the operator sits on the drivers seat D of the truck and drives the unit by the conventional steering wheel W and accelerate and braking appliances of this truck. Normally he keeps the sweeper head vertically adjusted so as to maintain adequate pressure of the brush fibers, and sliding contact between the floor and the wearing edge of the strip 27; the exact arrangement and pressure be ing subject to prompt and fine readjustment by the handle H whenever the floor condition changes. The operator, for instance, may occasionally reduce or release the contact pressure when an amount of material has been collected in front of the strip 27, which cannot easily be brought into the sweeping compass of the brush by the swinging of this strip. Thereafter the original contact is usually reestablished by the same handle H. Rapid and efiicient operation can thus be secured under the most variable conditions as to type of dirt or debris to be swept up, including for instance dust. coal, glass, straw, waste paper, strings, metal objects, and many other materials. Vertical adjustments and horizontal movements forward or backward can be effected simultaneously. Vertical power raising of the sweeper head and pan, for dumping purposes can be effected whenever the pickup pan is full, and can accommodate practically all usual types of disposal trucks and the like, without extra cost.

It will be obvious to persons skilled in this art, on consideration of this disclosure, that various modifications can be applied to the embodiment shown, within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a floor sweeper with a downwardly facing hood having the approximate form of a hollow cylinder seg ment with a lower, open, edged portion, a rotary brush journalled in the hood about an axis substantially identical with that of the cylinder segment and means to drive the brush; a combined propelling, adjusting and lifting device comprising: a power driven lift truck carriage to propel the sweeper; a pair of horizontal, forwardly extending lift arms substantially vertically movable on said carriage to adjust the pressure of the brush on the floor and to lift the brush over obstacles; a first, rigid frame, having at least two frame members horizontally extending across the lift arms at positions spaced along said arms; connector means adapted to removably interconnect each lift arm with each frame member in a manner to secure any one of a plurality of points spaced along the arm to any one of a plurality of points spaced along the frame member; structural means extending downwardly from said frame and rigidly secured thereto; and a second rigid frame, extending in a plane below and parallel with the first frame and rigidly secured to said structural means and to the edge of the open portion of the hood; the top of the hood being disposed below said first frame; whereby said first frame can be secured to said lift arms at a selected, predetermined angle.

2. In a floor sweeper as described in claim 1, a pair of pivot means in the second frame, disposed in front of the brush and having a common axis parallel with that of the brush; and a pickup pan removably attached to the second frame by said pivot means, the pan having an open end and having, when so attached, the open end opposite the brush; and means for tilting the pan when so attached about the pivot means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,969,674 Anderson et al. Aug. 7, 1934 2,156,065 Royer Apr. 25, 1939 2,194,297 Drumm Mar. 19, 1940 2,248,012 Phillips July 1, 1941 2,263,722 Drumm Nov. 25, 1941 2,364,493 Ulinsky Dec. 5, 1944 2,482,692 Quales et al. Sept. 20, 1949 2,505,576 Reitan Apr. 25, 1950 

